I may as well start the year out complaining. 2014 couldn't leave without a few parting shots to remind me that it sucked ass.
1. Mom developed a problem with the eye she had cataract surgery on. The panicky eye doctor sent her for a MRI to make sure she wasn't having a stroke or anything like that. Luckily, she wasn't, so now she's being sent back to Dr B to be tested for a sinus infection or to see if it's some sudden diabetes complication.
2. Dad, who objects to going to PT to build his strength up, keeps trying to do things on his own and falling. Luckily he hasn't hurt himself yet.
3. I ruined the ham we had for Christmas dinner. It was mostly edible, but NOT the delicious feast we were planning on.
4. The thyroid tumor is now exactly half the size of what's left of the thyroid. I get to go see the surgeon again and we get to fight with the insurance company over whether or not we can just remove the damned thing or if I get to have a needle jammed into it again first. Dr B. decided that wasn't enough to deal with, so I also have appointments to have my boobs mashed and a camera shoved up my ass. And I'm still too fat for his taste.
5. My car started doing all kinds of not-so-neat tricks. Two days at the mechanic for them to do the repairs that it turned out were part of the recalls on my vehicle and for them to come up with enough time to find something wrong that I'd have to pay for. Bob needs a $250 part (not including labor, of course) that I just can't do until later this month. The kicker is, of course, that the longer I go before I can afford the part, the more likely it will go from the $250 repair to a $1500 one.
6. The cousin my mom was closest to, Aunt Georgia, died yesterday. There's a winter weather front moving into the Iowa area (hoping it blows itself out before it gets here) and with Daddy's shakiness and needs, there is NO WAY we are driving into a snowstorm to go to the funeral.
On the plus side:
1. I still have a job even if I hate it most days.
2. I still have both my parents, even if they drive me crazy.
3. I still have my Shady-cat, who is very cuddly in winter weather.
4. I have a ton of new books to read.
5. I have a ton of new DVD's to watch.
Let's see what this year does to me...
Showing posts with label mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mom. Show all posts
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Friday, December 5, 2014
Foodie Friday- Pioneer Woman's Butternut Squash & Kale
found here:
I foolishly volunteered to cook our post-Thanksgiving dinner since I had to work on the actual holiday. Mom was so worn out after the health care battles with Dad that she agreed to that plan. I had made grandiose plans for what we were going to have, but the CFS & a sinus infection kicked in, so those plans went by the wayside.
Instead of the turkey breast cutlets, pounded, filled with homemade stuffing and wrapped in bacon that I planned, we had the cutlets pan-seared and simmered in homemade gravy. The stuffing came from a box. Sigh. It was good with the gravy over it. And I cracked open a tube of crescent rolls for the other bread dish.
Usually we have a green bean casserole or the brussels sprouts w/bacon dish that I introduced to our dinners about 10 years ago. This year, I decided to try Ree's Squash & Kale dish. Why? No idea. I don't generally like butternut squash. But it had been on her site and the picture looked so appetizing that I kept coming back to it, and I thought I remembered both parents liking the squash, so I went for it.
Butternut Squash and Kale
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 8
Ingredients
1/2 whole Butternut Squash; Peeled, Seeded And Cubed
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Black Pepper To Taste
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder (more To Taste)
1 bunch Kale, Leaves Torn, Stalks Discarded
Preparation Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook for several minutes, turning gently with a spatula, until squash is deep golden brown and tender (but not falling apart.) Remove to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat and add in the kale. Toss it around with tongs and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the cooked squash and gently toss together.
Serve as a side dish with chicken or beef, as a main veggie dish, or as a filling for quesadillas or sandwiches.
My cheats- I used a bag of squash cubes and shredded kale from Trader Joe's. If you go with pre-cut squash, you will probably want to cut the larger chunks a bit smaller. I didn't and wound up adding a little water to the pan and steaming the cubes to make sure they were cooked through. I also used Lawry's 17 seasoning blend instead of salt & pepper, but I did add the chile powder.
Verdict?
Dad said dinner was "Alright." That's code for "I liked it, but I'm not saying that because I don't want you getting a big head."
Mom LOVED it.
I actually liked it, much to my surprise. I knew I liked kale, but it blended really well with the squash. In fact, I liked it so much that the small amount of leftovers went home with me!
I foolishly volunteered to cook our post-Thanksgiving dinner since I had to work on the actual holiday. Mom was so worn out after the health care battles with Dad that she agreed to that plan. I had made grandiose plans for what we were going to have, but the CFS & a sinus infection kicked in, so those plans went by the wayside.
Instead of the turkey breast cutlets, pounded, filled with homemade stuffing and wrapped in bacon that I planned, we had the cutlets pan-seared and simmered in homemade gravy. The stuffing came from a box. Sigh. It was good with the gravy over it. And I cracked open a tube of crescent rolls for the other bread dish.
Usually we have a green bean casserole or the brussels sprouts w/bacon dish that I introduced to our dinners about 10 years ago. This year, I decided to try Ree's Squash & Kale dish. Why? No idea. I don't generally like butternut squash. But it had been on her site and the picture looked so appetizing that I kept coming back to it, and I thought I remembered both parents liking the squash, so I went for it.
Butternut Squash and Kale
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 8
Ingredients
1/2 whole Butternut Squash; Peeled, Seeded And Cubed
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Black Pepper To Taste
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder (more To Taste)
1 bunch Kale, Leaves Torn, Stalks Discarded
Preparation Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook for several minutes, turning gently with a spatula, until squash is deep golden brown and tender (but not falling apart.) Remove to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat and add in the kale. Toss it around with tongs and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the cooked squash and gently toss together.
Serve as a side dish with chicken or beef, as a main veggie dish, or as a filling for quesadillas or sandwiches.
My cheats- I used a bag of squash cubes and shredded kale from Trader Joe's. If you go with pre-cut squash, you will probably want to cut the larger chunks a bit smaller. I didn't and wound up adding a little water to the pan and steaming the cubes to make sure they were cooked through. I also used Lawry's 17 seasoning blend instead of salt & pepper, but I did add the chile powder.
Verdict?
Dad said dinner was "Alright." That's code for "I liked it, but I'm not saying that because I don't want you getting a big head."
Mom LOVED it.
I actually liked it, much to my surprise. I knew I liked kale, but it blended really well with the squash. In fact, I liked it so much that the small amount of leftovers went home with me!
Monday, September 22, 2014
10 Random Questions Answered
Gail Carriger, one of my blogging/writing idols, posted these on her blog last week. Here are my answers!
1. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Well, I'm not sure I've grown up yet, but I went from actress, to writer, to morning show DJ, to wrestler (actually did that one, briefly), to anything but what I am now...LOL. I'm not sure what I want to be anymore. Except a princess. I'll always want to be a princess!
2. What is your favorite food-related memory?
So many good memories in my life center around food! Here are two, one for each of my parents:
1. Daddy used to work for a chain called Jack's Steak House that had really good chocolate cake. I was in 2nd/3rd grade then. If I had been good, he would bring home a piece of cake when he came in for the night (He'd get home between 1030-1100) and I was allowed to get up and watch Odd Couple re-runs with him while I ate my cake.
2. Mom & I went to England for my 32nd birthday. On the actual day, we took a day-trip to Bath & Stonehenge. We had our first official British tea in a little tea-house in Bath. (not Sally Lunn's- couldn't get near it, but the little place we wound up in was charming!) I discovered the joys of clotted cream that day!
3. Summer or winter?
Winter. I just can't deal with summer heat, despite the fact that I was born & raised in the American South and it's pretty much a year round thing. Actually, I prefer moderate spring/fall weather to just about anything.
4. Proudest five-minutes-of-fame moment?
I won a best lips contest at a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We'll go with that.
5. What is your most irrational fear?
Not really irrational- I'm terrified of blindness & suffocation.
6. Favorite holiday destination?
ENGLAND!!!
7. What singer / band did you see at your first concert?
Eeep. I'm not entirely sure anymore. Does going to see my friend Peter's band in high school count? If not, I'll go with Garth Brooks in the early 90's. Not sure it's right, but it's one of my most vivid concert memories! (as talked about here)
8. What’s the worst lie you ever told?
"I've just got the flu."
9. Which teacher had the biggest impact on you?
My 8th grade English/Social Studies teacher taught me not to try to answer questions in her class. She asked us what amendment freed the slaves. Nobody in my class knew. I had read the chapter we were supposed to, but couldn't remember for sure if it was the 13th or 14th. (it's the 13th, BTW. I will NEVER forget that for the rest of my life) Anyway, I was brave enough to guess and got treated to a thirty minute diatribe about how disgraceful it was that I didn't know the amendment that set my people free. And another 5 minutes about being a smart ass when she paused for breath & I told her it only set half of them free, thank you very much.
My 10th grade Spanish teacher was a better influence. She was a big lady, and saw how uncomfortable I was in my own skin. She tried to teach me to appreciate myself as I was, and got me involved in the school student council. I'll never forget her for that. Sadly she died of cancer a few years ago. I regret that I never went back and told her how much she meant to me.
10. If you won a million bucks, what would you spend it on?
My parents get a house wherever they want it and then I'm taking the rest and going straight to England.
1. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Well, I'm not sure I've grown up yet, but I went from actress, to writer, to morning show DJ, to wrestler (actually did that one, briefly), to anything but what I am now...LOL. I'm not sure what I want to be anymore. Except a princess. I'll always want to be a princess!
2. What is your favorite food-related memory?
So many good memories in my life center around food! Here are two, one for each of my parents:
1. Daddy used to work for a chain called Jack's Steak House that had really good chocolate cake. I was in 2nd/3rd grade then. If I had been good, he would bring home a piece of cake when he came in for the night (He'd get home between 1030-1100) and I was allowed to get up and watch Odd Couple re-runs with him while I ate my cake.
2. Mom & I went to England for my 32nd birthday. On the actual day, we took a day-trip to Bath & Stonehenge. We had our first official British tea in a little tea-house in Bath. (not Sally Lunn's- couldn't get near it, but the little place we wound up in was charming!) I discovered the joys of clotted cream that day!
3. Summer or winter?
Winter. I just can't deal with summer heat, despite the fact that I was born & raised in the American South and it's pretty much a year round thing. Actually, I prefer moderate spring/fall weather to just about anything.
4. Proudest five-minutes-of-fame moment?
I won a best lips contest at a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We'll go with that.
5. What is your most irrational fear?
Not really irrational- I'm terrified of blindness & suffocation.
6. Favorite holiday destination?
ENGLAND!!!
7. What singer / band did you see at your first concert?
Eeep. I'm not entirely sure anymore. Does going to see my friend Peter's band in high school count? If not, I'll go with Garth Brooks in the early 90's. Not sure it's right, but it's one of my most vivid concert memories! (as talked about here)
8. What’s the worst lie you ever told?
"I've just got the flu."
9. Which teacher had the biggest impact on you?
My 8th grade English/Social Studies teacher taught me not to try to answer questions in her class. She asked us what amendment freed the slaves. Nobody in my class knew. I had read the chapter we were supposed to, but couldn't remember for sure if it was the 13th or 14th. (it's the 13th, BTW. I will NEVER forget that for the rest of my life) Anyway, I was brave enough to guess and got treated to a thirty minute diatribe about how disgraceful it was that I didn't know the amendment that set my people free. And another 5 minutes about being a smart ass when she paused for breath & I told her it only set half of them free, thank you very much.
My 10th grade Spanish teacher was a better influence. She was a big lady, and saw how uncomfortable I was in my own skin. She tried to teach me to appreciate myself as I was, and got me involved in the school student council. I'll never forget her for that. Sadly she died of cancer a few years ago. I regret that I never went back and told her how much she meant to me.
10. If you won a million bucks, what would you spend it on?
My parents get a house wherever they want it and then I'm taking the rest and going straight to England.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
*HAPPYDANCING*
Met with Dad's doctors and therapists this morning. He has made such amazing progress just in the 4 days he's been in the rehab wing that they're projecting he'll be able to go home on September 9th!
DANCE WITH ME!!! I broke into a combination of Snoopy's dance and Balki's Dance of Joy. The doctor looked at Dad and told him NOT to try to do that. Mom told me to stop before I hurt something. My hip reminded me that I am getting too old for this shit. (Bonus points to anyone who gets the Dance of Joy & Lethal Weapon references)
Happy, happy, happy!!!
DANCE WITH ME!!! I broke into a combination of Snoopy's dance and Balki's Dance of Joy. The doctor looked at Dad and told him NOT to try to do that. Mom told me to stop before I hurt something. My hip reminded me that I am getting too old for this shit. (Bonus points to anyone who gets the Dance of Joy & Lethal Weapon references)
Happy, happy, happy!!!
Monday, August 18, 2014
As The Stomach Churns -or- The Continuing Medical Saga That Is My Life
Well, it was another fun filled weekend. I went to bed feeling rough Friday night, woke up Saturday feeling like I'd been hit with a truck. Not the CFS, this time I had strep throat. I texted Mom to let her know that I wouldn't be going to the hospital to see Dad and dragged myself to the clinic.
Amusingly enough, when I got to the clinic I was seen by the same doctor who treated me for the sinus infection 2 weeks ago. "You just came off of antibiotics! How can you be sick again?!?"
I told him my self-diagnosis, he took one look at my throat, and then he sighed. "Yep, you're going on the penicillin express...no wait, you're the one with the allergy...what the hell did I give you last time?" Flipped through the chart. "Ok, you're going back on this, but at a higher dose."
Then we had to wait for the pharmacy to call, because they did last time to make sure he MEANT to give me that strong an antibiotic. While we were waiting, he asked me what I keep doing ot myself to wind up there. I couldn't resist- I told him that I'd faked everything just for an excuse to come see him again. (He IS pretty cute...and probably about 12 years old) He snickered and said "Well, if I wasn't married and you weren't contagious, we might have had something there."
I love doctors who get my smart ass sense of humor. Dr B would have probably fainted on the spot if I'd said that to him.
So I hit the pharmacy & headed home to bed. The little black snot decided to come in for the day/night as we were having a nasty spell of rain that turned into a thunderstorm. She snuggled up and purred me to sleep and that was pretty much it until 2 pm Sunday.
Before I passed out, Mom had messaged me that Dad now had C.Diff- a really nasty stomach bug- plus he still wasn't able to eat. None of us were having a good time.
Mom & I went out to dinner at Panera Sunday and then I went back home to bed while she went back to the hospital to Daddy-sit.
Everyone is feeling better today. Dad is being allowed ice chips, honey, juice, and broth. They gave him a cup of tomato soup and you'd have thought it was manna from heaven. I was able to stick my head in and yell hello at him before coming to work today.
More news as it happens...
Amusingly enough, when I got to the clinic I was seen by the same doctor who treated me for the sinus infection 2 weeks ago. "You just came off of antibiotics! How can you be sick again?!?"
I told him my self-diagnosis, he took one look at my throat, and then he sighed. "Yep, you're going on the penicillin express...no wait, you're the one with the allergy...what the hell did I give you last time?" Flipped through the chart. "Ok, you're going back on this, but at a higher dose."
Then we had to wait for the pharmacy to call, because they did last time to make sure he MEANT to give me that strong an antibiotic. While we were waiting, he asked me what I keep doing ot myself to wind up there. I couldn't resist- I told him that I'd faked everything just for an excuse to come see him again. (He IS pretty cute...and probably about 12 years old) He snickered and said "Well, if I wasn't married and you weren't contagious, we might have had something there."
I love doctors who get my smart ass sense of humor. Dr B would have probably fainted on the spot if I'd said that to him.
So I hit the pharmacy & headed home to bed. The little black snot decided to come in for the day/night as we were having a nasty spell of rain that turned into a thunderstorm. She snuggled up and purred me to sleep and that was pretty much it until 2 pm Sunday.
Before I passed out, Mom had messaged me that Dad now had C.Diff- a really nasty stomach bug- plus he still wasn't able to eat. None of us were having a good time.
Mom & I went out to dinner at Panera Sunday and then I went back home to bed while she went back to the hospital to Daddy-sit.
Everyone is feeling better today. Dad is being allowed ice chips, honey, juice, and broth. They gave him a cup of tomato soup and you'd have thought it was manna from heaven. I was able to stick my head in and yell hello at him before coming to work today.
More news as it happens...
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Belated: Happy Birthday to Me!
So, Dad got moved OUT of the ICU on my birthday! We're very happy about this, especially him.
Mom & I went and had our tea party at Sister's Tea Shop. It was tasty. I tried their Buckingham Palace Garden Party tea blend which turned out to be an Earl Grey with Jasmine. I loved it. The three-tiered nibbles assortment we ordered was also good. 2 of my favorites from that were the Black Pepper Biscuits with Ham Salad and the Caramelized Onion/Corn scone. They also brought me a giant chocolate cupcake with a pink rose frosting that was moist & delicious.
Went back to Mom's to open my presents. She & Dad bought me the Hollow Crown miniseries on DVD- Tom Hiddleston, yay! I won't list everything else, but Mom did her usual bang-up job of gifts and gift-wrapping.
Back to the hospital to spend some more time with the old coot, and then I went home and grilled myself a steak. Watched my new DVD's- ok, mostly just my favorite Tom scenes, but I'll watch the whole thing later.
Mom & I went and had our tea party at Sister's Tea Shop. It was tasty. I tried their Buckingham Palace Garden Party tea blend which turned out to be an Earl Grey with Jasmine. I loved it. The three-tiered nibbles assortment we ordered was also good. 2 of my favorites from that were the Black Pepper Biscuits with Ham Salad and the Caramelized Onion/Corn scone. They also brought me a giant chocolate cupcake with a pink rose frosting that was moist & delicious.
Went back to Mom's to open my presents. She & Dad bought me the Hollow Crown miniseries on DVD- Tom Hiddleston, yay! I won't list everything else, but Mom did her usual bang-up job of gifts and gift-wrapping.
Back to the hospital to spend some more time with the old coot, and then I went home and grilled myself a steak. Watched my new DVD's- ok, mostly just my favorite Tom scenes, but I'll watch the whole thing later.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
The Surgery Story (may be long & rambling- my brain is not totally functional right now)
So Daddy's heart surgery was on Friday. The planned procedures were: replacing 2 heart valves, doing one bypass, and scarring on a chamber to alleviate his A-fib.
My sisters arrived on Thursday. All four of them. This was a surprise to us, because we were told only one would be able to come after it had been re-scheduled. Only 2 of my BILs were brave enough to come along for this adventure. To be fair, Sandra's husband Eddie was in the hospital with congestive respiratory failure himself, but he insisted she come be with Dad.
We met at the hospital at 5 a.m. Friday. They took Dad back almost immediately, and we were allowed to come back for hugs/kisses/prayers before they took him off to surgery. The nurse took one look at us and asked "Is this ALL of them?" The look on her face when we said no was priceless.
Waiting is the worst. Around 7-8, we went to the cafeteria for breakfast. I'm a nervous eater and apparently so are my sisters. That place made a lot of money on us that morning! I took coffee & a danish back to Mom and we all sat around playing the waiting game. Sandra called the hospital back home to get an update on Eddie and scared us all to death when she burst into tears. It turned out to be a good cry though- they told her that he was off the breathing tubes and doing just fine. In fact he was fussing about wanting something to eat.
Sometime around 11-12, the surgeon came out to talk to us. He said Daddy had made it through the surgery like a champ! They wound up being able to replace the leaky heart valves instead of having to replace them, so the operation was less invasive/involved than they expected. (YAY) He also said that Daddy should be good for at least 10 more years now. (oh boy) It was going to be at least 2 hours before we could go back and see him, so we opted to go get lunch.
On the way to the parking garage, everything just hit me at once. I started bawling, much to the horror of my brothers. JR is normally a smart ass, but he was the first one to hug me and THEN he started picking on me to get me to stop crying. Roy started crying when I did, much to Audrey's disgust. Anyway, we all dried up after a minute or two and headed out.
We went to a Mexican restaurant near their hotel for lunch. They'd stopped in for Margaritas the night before and the host remembered them. (not entirely a surprise, given our family) Apparently he was so taken with the pack of us that he started pulling the staff out of the kitchen to gawk at us. The food was really good, though.
Saturday is kind of a blur. Daddy was still heavily drugged, so we took turns going in to sit with him. He did blink at us and squeeze our hands, so we knew it was really him in there. The ICU would only let us in 2 at a time for 10 minutes per pair. At the end of afternoon visiting hours, Sandra & I went shopping while the others went back to the hotel to pack up and move to a new one. Because the PGA championship was in town, hotel rooms were hard to come by and the 6 of them wound up having to share one room for Saturday night. I won't go into details about the dance off that took place before I left them for the night other than to say that Sandra & Audrey are wild women and should know better than to twerk.
Audrey, Roy, & Sandra had to leave Sunday morning. Daddy was still pretty out of it, but was fussing about his breathing tubes. The rest of us spent the day in and out.
Brenda, Angie, & JR left early Monday morning. Shortly after that, Dad managed to pull out his breathing tubes. Mom & I flew down to the hospital and were told that he'd thrown up while they were examining him to see how much damage he'd done to himself and aspirated some of it into his lungs. They were afraid they'd have to cut him open again to clean out his lungs, but were eventually able to flush everything out. He kept fighting the oxygen and other masks they tried to put on him in place of the breathing tubes, so they had to drug him senseless again and put him in restraints. And put the breathing tube back in. Needless to say, I didn't make it to work yesterday.
Today, after a night under sedation and lots of oxygen forced into him, Dad is MUCH improved. The doctors are optimistic that he'll be off the vents by Thursday, and if so, he can be moved into regular recovery. He waved at me when I stopped in to visit before work, and winked at me when I told him that I'd bought his lottery tickets for the weekend.
Then I made the mistake of coming to work. Psycho is giving me the silent treatment because I had the nerve to put my Dad before this hell hole, and if she rolls her eyes one more time when one of my friends drops in to hug me and ask about Dad, I am going to roll her head across the floor.
Yeah, life is getting back to normal.
My sisters arrived on Thursday. All four of them. This was a surprise to us, because we were told only one would be able to come after it had been re-scheduled. Only 2 of my BILs were brave enough to come along for this adventure. To be fair, Sandra's husband Eddie was in the hospital with congestive respiratory failure himself, but he insisted she come be with Dad.
We met at the hospital at 5 a.m. Friday. They took Dad back almost immediately, and we were allowed to come back for hugs/kisses/prayers before they took him off to surgery. The nurse took one look at us and asked "Is this ALL of them?" The look on her face when we said no was priceless.
Waiting is the worst. Around 7-8, we went to the cafeteria for breakfast. I'm a nervous eater and apparently so are my sisters. That place made a lot of money on us that morning! I took coffee & a danish back to Mom and we all sat around playing the waiting game. Sandra called the hospital back home to get an update on Eddie and scared us all to death when she burst into tears. It turned out to be a good cry though- they told her that he was off the breathing tubes and doing just fine. In fact he was fussing about wanting something to eat.
Sometime around 11-12, the surgeon came out to talk to us. He said Daddy had made it through the surgery like a champ! They wound up being able to replace the leaky heart valves instead of having to replace them, so the operation was less invasive/involved than they expected. (YAY) He also said that Daddy should be good for at least 10 more years now. (oh boy) It was going to be at least 2 hours before we could go back and see him, so we opted to go get lunch.
On the way to the parking garage, everything just hit me at once. I started bawling, much to the horror of my brothers. JR is normally a smart ass, but he was the first one to hug me and THEN he started picking on me to get me to stop crying. Roy started crying when I did, much to Audrey's disgust. Anyway, we all dried up after a minute or two and headed out.
We went to a Mexican restaurant near their hotel for lunch. They'd stopped in for Margaritas the night before and the host remembered them. (not entirely a surprise, given our family) Apparently he was so taken with the pack of us that he started pulling the staff out of the kitchen to gawk at us. The food was really good, though.
Saturday is kind of a blur. Daddy was still heavily drugged, so we took turns going in to sit with him. He did blink at us and squeeze our hands, so we knew it was really him in there. The ICU would only let us in 2 at a time for 10 minutes per pair. At the end of afternoon visiting hours, Sandra & I went shopping while the others went back to the hotel to pack up and move to a new one. Because the PGA championship was in town, hotel rooms were hard to come by and the 6 of them wound up having to share one room for Saturday night. I won't go into details about the dance off that took place before I left them for the night other than to say that Sandra & Audrey are wild women and should know better than to twerk.
Audrey, Roy, & Sandra had to leave Sunday morning. Daddy was still pretty out of it, but was fussing about his breathing tubes. The rest of us spent the day in and out.
Brenda, Angie, & JR left early Monday morning. Shortly after that, Dad managed to pull out his breathing tubes. Mom & I flew down to the hospital and were told that he'd thrown up while they were examining him to see how much damage he'd done to himself and aspirated some of it into his lungs. They were afraid they'd have to cut him open again to clean out his lungs, but were eventually able to flush everything out. He kept fighting the oxygen and other masks they tried to put on him in place of the breathing tubes, so they had to drug him senseless again and put him in restraints. And put the breathing tube back in. Needless to say, I didn't make it to work yesterday.
Today, after a night under sedation and lots of oxygen forced into him, Dad is MUCH improved. The doctors are optimistic that he'll be off the vents by Thursday, and if so, he can be moved into regular recovery. He waved at me when I stopped in to visit before work, and winked at me when I told him that I'd bought his lottery tickets for the weekend.
Then I made the mistake of coming to work. Psycho is giving me the silent treatment because I had the nerve to put my Dad before this hell hole, and if she rolls her eyes one more time when one of my friends drops in to hug me and ask about Dad, I am going to roll her head across the floor.
Yeah, life is getting back to normal.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
The Great Spencer Family Reunion
So, we were supposed to leave for NC after I got off work on the 2nd, but my parents forgot and scheduled lab work for Dad on the morning of the 3rd. So we planned to leave at 8 a.m. instead. Needless to say it was 9:30 before we actually got underway. Partly because nobody could get up & moving, and partly because I had to totally unpack & repack the damn trunk in order to get my stuff in. (We took their car)
The drive wasn't too awful to start. Traffic was tolerable, the roads were fairly clear, and we didn't hit much construction. The first hiccup came when we were entering Winston-Salem NC. Mom was driving. The exit we have to take to get to I-40 is an ugly, sharp curve with about a 6 ft merge lane and even *I* mumble prayers on it. Mom, for some reason, gunned the engine as we were getting to the sharpest point on the curve and forgot to turn the wheels, so we nearly went careening into the guard rail. Daddy squawked about it for the next 30 miles.
Second hiccup came as we got on Hwy 264 to head toward the swamp. At that point, we were racing Hurricane Arthur to the upper NC coast. I was driving into heavy sporadic bursts of rain that were totally blinding. We got to Washington (where I was going to be staying)at about 11. The sky fell apart right after we got into our rooms and I was quite grateful to be off the road. We had a couple of brief power failures, but nothing too horrible.
Next morning: Loaded the parents & some extra supplies we were asked to bring into the car and headed to Englehard. Google maps said to look for State Road X on the directions to Cousin Josephine's house. What they/we didn't know is that it has since been given a street name. My father very (un)helpfully told me that I should have turned AFTER I passed it. Sigh. We finally got there, taking a ridiculously long way around. Jo was very happy to see us and horrified that I was going to be driving back & forth to Washington every day we were there while my parents stayed with her. (it was only 90 minutes each way, LOL) I promised her I'd be fine. Her power, as most of the town's, had been knocked out by the storm. She had a generator running, so there was a/c. We had to go buy more gas for it, and get another cousin to get it running again. I could have figured it out, but Jo was insistent that "one of those useless boys" should do it for her.
We got Uncle John on the phone, only to find out that he & Cousin Henderson weren't going to arrive until Saturday. So we sang Happy Birthday to him and tried to figure out where we were going to store the sheet cake we'd ordered so the frosting wouldn't melt.
My sisters Angie & Audrey arrived with their husbands. Like me, they were staying in Washington & commuting all weekend. We sat around chatting for hours while Jo called every relative she had a number for to tell them we were there. (Quick note- Jo is about 3-5 years younger than Dad, but is his niece. It amused me to hear this elder woman call him Uncle Leonard all weekend. They were pretty much raised as siblings) The utility company got the power restored at 4 (to everyone's relief) and we found out that the local seafood restaurant that everyone loved was going to be open at 5:30, so plans were made to go there for dinner.
I have to say, the food was pretty good. I tried their fried flounder (yum!) and fried okra (even better!) and had a hush-puppy eating contest with my BIL J.R. (I won) The siblings headed back to town, while I drove the old folks back to Jo's. They made me promise not to stay too long as everyone was nervous about me driving through the swamp by myself after dark. I don't know why- even *I* know not to speed in unfamiliar territory with steep curves and flooded canals on each side of the highway, especially in a racist-run county on a holiday speed-trap weekend. I had to promise to text/call everyone when I got back to the hotel.
Decided to go to Wal-Mart when I got back to Washington, but I duly texted everyone to let them know I'd arrived safely. Wandered around for longer than I intended, so it was about 10 when I pulled into the hotel parking lot. My sibs were out in the parking lot watching the fireworks and waiting for me to get there. They'd all left their phones in their rooms, so they hadn't seen my message. Roy told me that they'd just been debating on whether or not they should go look for me. We watched the end of the fireworks and decided to call it a night.
Saturday- The festivities weren't supposed to start until 3, so I had told everyone not to expect me much before that. So, of course I got a zillion phone calls wanting to know if I was ok, if I was lost, and when I'd be arriving.
Let me tell you something about my dad's family. There are a LOT of them. Dad is the 2nd youngest of 23 kids. (only 4 are still with us) Most of them produced a large number of children, who followed the same route. There were about 150 people there Saturday and that wasn't even 1/3 of the family. Amusingly enough, to me anyway, out of all those people, there was still nobody that really looked like me. Saw lots of dopplegangers of my sibs and their kids, though! We managed to get most everyone herded over to the tent that had been set up for the cook-out and had a presentation of birthday acknowledgements for Uncle John and some cousins who'd had birthdays recently, and then they had this pastor get up to deliver a sermon/prayer.
Yeah, I'm still a heathen. And this guy was a holy roller, hell-fire & brimstone preacher. Mom swatted me for giggling several times throughout the service. At one point, he went on for 10 minutes about how all problems could be solved by "putting the blood (of Christ) on them." I bit my lip until it bled, but kept quiet until he said to tell your boss-man that "you're going to put the blood on him so he won't bring you down!" All I could think of was what the expression on my boss' face would be and how quickly he'd have me served with a mental inquest warrant if I said that in our office and I lost it. Luckily I buried my face in my hands to stifle the giggles, so all anyone saw was my shoulders shaking and feet tapping, so they all assumed I was "caught up in the spirit" and nobody was offended. When I regained my composure, I looked around and you could tell which cousins weren't exactly comfortable with that type of ministry because they were all shifting restlessly in their spots. The final straw was when the pastor began pointedly preaching about how God created MAN and WOMAN and they should remain as God created them. Kind of brassy when you realized (as many of us did over the course of the weekend) that the cousin who had spearheaded the reunion and booked this clown was Transgender. Not cool. What happened to letting God be the only judge?
Anyway, he finally put a sock in it and we got to eat. The food wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't awful. We had to all but drag Uncle John over to cut his birthday cake. He was determined not to be the center of attention and cousins Niesha, Charvella, & I were equally determined that he was. One of the sweetest moments, and I'm still kicking myself for not getting a picture of it, was when the oldest Spencer male presented the first piece of cake to the youngest Spencer boy present. Little Damarion, age 1, had no idea why we were all cheering and clapping, but he was happy to scarf down that cake!
I didn't stay for the dance that was scheduled later. I was developing a sick headache and wanted to go back to the hotel to try to sleep it off.
We were supposed to leave right after they went to church Sunday morning. I was tasked with picking up the fried chicken order for the fellowship dinner and delivering it before collecting my parents for the trip home. We didn't get back on the road until almost 4, much to my dismay. I'll spare my reader/s the details of the drive home except to say that my mother still apparently can't drive and read road signs, my father is still a pain in the butt about wrong turns and getting in/out of the car in a timely fashion, and I got a damned speeding ticket in VA. (GRRR) Oh, and we didn't get to my house until 6 a.m. Monday.
As a result of the travel stress, my CFS has flared up big time; my face has broken out; and my knees/back ache like hell. But it made Daddy & Uncle John very happy that we went, so that makes it worth all the aggravation.
Next year's reunion is tentatively scheduled for August. I'm not going. I swore that if I traveled anywhere next year, it would be to England, and I'm not giving it up for anybody!
The drive wasn't too awful to start. Traffic was tolerable, the roads were fairly clear, and we didn't hit much construction. The first hiccup came when we were entering Winston-Salem NC. Mom was driving. The exit we have to take to get to I-40 is an ugly, sharp curve with about a 6 ft merge lane and even *I* mumble prayers on it. Mom, for some reason, gunned the engine as we were getting to the sharpest point on the curve and forgot to turn the wheels, so we nearly went careening into the guard rail. Daddy squawked about it for the next 30 miles.
Second hiccup came as we got on Hwy 264 to head toward the swamp. At that point, we were racing Hurricane Arthur to the upper NC coast. I was driving into heavy sporadic bursts of rain that were totally blinding. We got to Washington (where I was going to be staying)at about 11. The sky fell apart right after we got into our rooms and I was quite grateful to be off the road. We had a couple of brief power failures, but nothing too horrible.
Next morning: Loaded the parents & some extra supplies we were asked to bring into the car and headed to Englehard. Google maps said to look for State Road X on the directions to Cousin Josephine's house. What they/we didn't know is that it has since been given a street name. My father very (un)helpfully told me that I should have turned AFTER I passed it. Sigh. We finally got there, taking a ridiculously long way around. Jo was very happy to see us and horrified that I was going to be driving back & forth to Washington every day we were there while my parents stayed with her. (it was only 90 minutes each way, LOL) I promised her I'd be fine. Her power, as most of the town's, had been knocked out by the storm. She had a generator running, so there was a/c. We had to go buy more gas for it, and get another cousin to get it running again. I could have figured it out, but Jo was insistent that "one of those useless boys" should do it for her.
We got Uncle John on the phone, only to find out that he & Cousin Henderson weren't going to arrive until Saturday. So we sang Happy Birthday to him and tried to figure out where we were going to store the sheet cake we'd ordered so the frosting wouldn't melt.
My sisters Angie & Audrey arrived with their husbands. Like me, they were staying in Washington & commuting all weekend. We sat around chatting for hours while Jo called every relative she had a number for to tell them we were there. (Quick note- Jo is about 3-5 years younger than Dad, but is his niece. It amused me to hear this elder woman call him Uncle Leonard all weekend. They were pretty much raised as siblings) The utility company got the power restored at 4 (to everyone's relief) and we found out that the local seafood restaurant that everyone loved was going to be open at 5:30, so plans were made to go there for dinner.
I have to say, the food was pretty good. I tried their fried flounder (yum!) and fried okra (even better!) and had a hush-puppy eating contest with my BIL J.R. (I won) The siblings headed back to town, while I drove the old folks back to Jo's. They made me promise not to stay too long as everyone was nervous about me driving through the swamp by myself after dark. I don't know why- even *I* know not to speed in unfamiliar territory with steep curves and flooded canals on each side of the highway, especially in a racist-run county on a holiday speed-trap weekend. I had to promise to text/call everyone when I got back to the hotel.
Decided to go to Wal-Mart when I got back to Washington, but I duly texted everyone to let them know I'd arrived safely. Wandered around for longer than I intended, so it was about 10 when I pulled into the hotel parking lot. My sibs were out in the parking lot watching the fireworks and waiting for me to get there. They'd all left their phones in their rooms, so they hadn't seen my message. Roy told me that they'd just been debating on whether or not they should go look for me. We watched the end of the fireworks and decided to call it a night.
Saturday- The festivities weren't supposed to start until 3, so I had told everyone not to expect me much before that. So, of course I got a zillion phone calls wanting to know if I was ok, if I was lost, and when I'd be arriving.
Let me tell you something about my dad's family. There are a LOT of them. Dad is the 2nd youngest of 23 kids. (only 4 are still with us) Most of them produced a large number of children, who followed the same route. There were about 150 people there Saturday and that wasn't even 1/3 of the family. Amusingly enough, to me anyway, out of all those people, there was still nobody that really looked like me. Saw lots of dopplegangers of my sibs and their kids, though! We managed to get most everyone herded over to the tent that had been set up for the cook-out and had a presentation of birthday acknowledgements for Uncle John and some cousins who'd had birthdays recently, and then they had this pastor get up to deliver a sermon/prayer.
Yeah, I'm still a heathen. And this guy was a holy roller, hell-fire & brimstone preacher. Mom swatted me for giggling several times throughout the service. At one point, he went on for 10 minutes about how all problems could be solved by "putting the blood (of Christ) on them." I bit my lip until it bled, but kept quiet until he said to tell your boss-man that "you're going to put the blood on him so he won't bring you down!" All I could think of was what the expression on my boss' face would be and how quickly he'd have me served with a mental inquest warrant if I said that in our office and I lost it. Luckily I buried my face in my hands to stifle the giggles, so all anyone saw was my shoulders shaking and feet tapping, so they all assumed I was "caught up in the spirit" and nobody was offended. When I regained my composure, I looked around and you could tell which cousins weren't exactly comfortable with that type of ministry because they were all shifting restlessly in their spots. The final straw was when the pastor began pointedly preaching about how God created MAN and WOMAN and they should remain as God created them. Kind of brassy when you realized (as many of us did over the course of the weekend) that the cousin who had spearheaded the reunion and booked this clown was Transgender. Not cool. What happened to letting God be the only judge?
Anyway, he finally put a sock in it and we got to eat. The food wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't awful. We had to all but drag Uncle John over to cut his birthday cake. He was determined not to be the center of attention and cousins Niesha, Charvella, & I were equally determined that he was. One of the sweetest moments, and I'm still kicking myself for not getting a picture of it, was when the oldest Spencer male presented the first piece of cake to the youngest Spencer boy present. Little Damarion, age 1, had no idea why we were all cheering and clapping, but he was happy to scarf down that cake!
I didn't stay for the dance that was scheduled later. I was developing a sick headache and wanted to go back to the hotel to try to sleep it off.
We were supposed to leave right after they went to church Sunday morning. I was tasked with picking up the fried chicken order for the fellowship dinner and delivering it before collecting my parents for the trip home. We didn't get back on the road until almost 4, much to my dismay. I'll spare my reader/s the details of the drive home except to say that my mother still apparently can't drive and read road signs, my father is still a pain in the butt about wrong turns and getting in/out of the car in a timely fashion, and I got a damned speeding ticket in VA. (GRRR) Oh, and we didn't get to my house until 6 a.m. Monday.
As a result of the travel stress, my CFS has flared up big time; my face has broken out; and my knees/back ache like hell. But it made Daddy & Uncle John very happy that we went, so that makes it worth all the aggravation.
Next year's reunion is tentatively scheduled for August. I'm not going. I swore that if I traveled anywhere next year, it would be to England, and I'm not giving it up for anybody!
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
We have another new grocery store!
Louisville got a Lucky's store, and it opened last weekend. Mom & Dad went the first day and raved about it. I agreed to check it out Sunday afternoon, misguidedly thinking some of the Grand Opening hoopla would have settled down. Nope. The place was packed. They're kind of along the same lines as Trader Joe's & Whole Foods, which meant that prices were a little higher on a lot of items and the store was full of self-righteous wanna-be eco-conscious people. They try to source as many of their products as locally as possible, which is nice.
They had a GREAT produce section. Also, the packaged meat case was awesome. Ground beef for $1.69 a pound! Really nice looking pork steaks- bought several of those, too. The fresh meat case wasn't as impressive to me, until I found the samples of bacon they'd put out. OMG, the pepper bacon was TO DIE FOR! Mom all but had to drag me away from the samples and I bought a pound of it for myself. I was also nice and got Daddy a 3 slice sample of the plain bacon. The meat counter guy was super nice and didn't charge me for those.
I was disappointed in the baked goods. They had a lot of gluten-free products which is good for those with genuine gluten issues. There were several packages of fresh-made danish, but most of them simply said "Danish" on the label and it was hard to identify the fruit fillings. I asked one clerk if the filling on a box was strawberry or raspberry and she didn't know either, so I skipped them. The breads were WAY overpriced, except for some fresh loaves at the deli that were on special 2/$4.
My favorite purchase so far (besides the bacon) was the Amy's Dark Chocolate Toffee Crunch bar. I WILL be going back for more of those. And the bacon.
BACON BACON BACON.
No, I'm not obsessed.
They had a GREAT produce section. Also, the packaged meat case was awesome. Ground beef for $1.69 a pound! Really nice looking pork steaks- bought several of those, too. The fresh meat case wasn't as impressive to me, until I found the samples of bacon they'd put out. OMG, the pepper bacon was TO DIE FOR! Mom all but had to drag me away from the samples and I bought a pound of it for myself. I was also nice and got Daddy a 3 slice sample of the plain bacon. The meat counter guy was super nice and didn't charge me for those.
I was disappointed in the baked goods. They had a lot of gluten-free products which is good for those with genuine gluten issues. There were several packages of fresh-made danish, but most of them simply said "Danish" on the label and it was hard to identify the fruit fillings. I asked one clerk if the filling on a box was strawberry or raspberry and she didn't know either, so I skipped them. The breads were WAY overpriced, except for some fresh loaves at the deli that were on special 2/$4.
My favorite purchase so far (besides the bacon) was the Amy's Dark Chocolate Toffee Crunch bar. I WILL be going back for more of those. And the bacon.
BACON BACON BACON.
No, I'm not obsessed.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Dave Barry Rocks!
So, last week I corralled the parents and we went to a library book signing featuring Dave Barry. I had worked an event with him back in my bookstore days, so I knew it would be a good time.
The place was packed. I was lucky enough to order my tickets the day the event was posted online- one of the librarians told me that they'd had to change the venue twice to accommodate the large number of people who wanted to attend. I took 4 hours off from work that day to go. Mom & Dad were supposed to get there early and snag some good seats. We actually got there at the same time, but still got really good seats. They were selling copies of the new book and Mom was kind enough to buy one for me since I was still 9th in line for the library copies and payday wasn't until Friday following the event. Dad took one look at the title- YOU CAN DATE BOYS WHEN YOU'RE FORTY- and told me that I am still not old enough. Hah.
Dave took the "stage" and the laughter started immediately. Here's how funny this man is- my father, who rarely gives more than a dry chuckle at things that amuse him, ACTUALLY LAUGHED OUT LOUD. MORE THAN ONCE. I jokingly told my mother that Dave seemed to be talking to our aside of the room more than the other. She said she thought he was just talking to me because it seemed to her that he was looking right at me most of the show. My friends Susan & Frank, who were seated toward the middle, echoed Mom's theory. (Frank actually stood up for a second to see what was over on the right side, sat back down, looked at Susan and said "Mickey is directly in his path of vision.")
Because I picked our seats toward the right front side of the stage, I wound up being the 6th person in line to get my book signed. I'm not sure if Dave actually remembered me from the bookstore event years earlier or if he just flirted with all the girls, but he grabbed my hand, said "Well, HELLO there" and talked to me for 5 minutes before signing my book....which he made out to "Mickey, the goddess" without any prompting from me. Susan, bless her, snuck up and got a couple of shots of us talking.
All in all, it was a fun evening. And, Dave? If you're ever single again, call me. :-)
The place was packed. I was lucky enough to order my tickets the day the event was posted online- one of the librarians told me that they'd had to change the venue twice to accommodate the large number of people who wanted to attend. I took 4 hours off from work that day to go. Mom & Dad were supposed to get there early and snag some good seats. We actually got there at the same time, but still got really good seats. They were selling copies of the new book and Mom was kind enough to buy one for me since I was still 9th in line for the library copies and payday wasn't until Friday following the event. Dad took one look at the title- YOU CAN DATE BOYS WHEN YOU'RE FORTY- and told me that I am still not old enough. Hah.
Dave took the "stage" and the laughter started immediately. Here's how funny this man is- my father, who rarely gives more than a dry chuckle at things that amuse him, ACTUALLY LAUGHED OUT LOUD. MORE THAN ONCE. I jokingly told my mother that Dave seemed to be talking to our aside of the room more than the other. She said she thought he was just talking to me because it seemed to her that he was looking right at me most of the show. My friends Susan & Frank, who were seated toward the middle, echoed Mom's theory. (Frank actually stood up for a second to see what was over on the right side, sat back down, looked at Susan and said "Mickey is directly in his path of vision.")
Because I picked our seats toward the right front side of the stage, I wound up being the 6th person in line to get my book signed. I'm not sure if Dave actually remembered me from the bookstore event years earlier or if he just flirted with all the girls, but he grabbed my hand, said "Well, HELLO there" and talked to me for 5 minutes before signing my book....which he made out to "Mickey, the goddess" without any prompting from me. Susan, bless her, snuck up and got a couple of shots of us talking.
All in all, it was a fun evening. And, Dave? If you're ever single again, call me. :-)
Friday, March 7, 2014
March Goals, so far
Not a whole lot to report. February ended with a bang as Daddy had to be rushed to the hospital again. Fortunately he was suffering from a fairly easy to correct issue, but the symptoms were enough to scare the bejeezus out of us all. At one point, the poor old coot was vomiting blood, Mom was just vomiting (sympathetically at first, and then the doctor checked her out and found she had the flu), and I was banished to the ER hallway before I started. While I was out there, I started inquiring about group rates & rooms, because it looked like we were ALL going to be admitted at the rate we were going.
Didn't get the trash out for the first March pickup as we had a foot of snow fall over 3 inches of ice and I didn't have the energy to fight with the can & driveway Sunday night. Just as well, since they didn't pick it up on Monday. Didn't get it out for the Thursday pickup either, because I was sick in bed. Seems one of the deteriorating discs in my spine is inflamed/infected, so I'm on painkillers & antibiotics again/still.
I HAVE managed, so far, to do a daily positive post on FaceBook. Much to the amusement of friends who have apparently formed a betting pool on how many days I'll do it. We'll see who has the last laugh.
Laundry Mountain? *whimper*
Cooking? Made a huge batch of enchiladas. Made the mistake of using a new-to-me brand of enchilada sauce. Have spent the last few days eating the innards out of the enchiladas. Am going to try for a lasagna this weekend. Also plan to try a Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Hash. It sounds odd, but the picture looked really good and I'm one of the random weirdos who actually likes sprouts.
So there you have it. More later...
Didn't get the trash out for the first March pickup as we had a foot of snow fall over 3 inches of ice and I didn't have the energy to fight with the can & driveway Sunday night. Just as well, since they didn't pick it up on Monday. Didn't get it out for the Thursday pickup either, because I was sick in bed. Seems one of the deteriorating discs in my spine is inflamed/infected, so I'm on painkillers & antibiotics again/still.
I HAVE managed, so far, to do a daily positive post on FaceBook. Much to the amusement of friends who have apparently formed a betting pool on how many days I'll do it. We'll see who has the last laugh.
Laundry Mountain? *whimper*
Cooking? Made a huge batch of enchiladas. Made the mistake of using a new-to-me brand of enchilada sauce. Have spent the last few days eating the innards out of the enchiladas. Am going to try for a lasagna this weekend. Also plan to try a Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Hash. It sounds odd, but the picture looked really good and I'm one of the random weirdos who actually likes sprouts.
So there you have it. More later...
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Firsts of the year!
First person spoken to: Mom
First thing to drink: iced coffee
First thing to eat: bowl of Corn Chex w/sugar
First thing cooked: Chuck steak on Foreman grill
First contemplated purchase: a new Foreman grill (because my current one has about had it)
First actual purchase: box of Immodium (damn meds have a new side effect)
First website visited: Facebook
First game played: Bubble Witch Saga
First book read: Cat Vs Human- Another Dose of Catnip
First DVD watched: Blackadder the 3rd
First "responsible adult" activity: balanced the checkbook (and winced to see that I've been spending money like a drunken sailor)
First household chore: Washed sinkful of dishes that accumulated over the last 10 days or so. ( What?!? I live alone, so it's not like I'll run out of dishes. I tend to run out of silverware first)
First person to get a hug: My friend Trey
First person to get sworn at: The idiot in front of me on the way to work who signaled a left turn, turned right, and then drove at 10 m.p.h. while reading text messages on his phone
First phone call answered at work: Officer who didn't know his name would come up on caller ID and freaked out when I called him by name.
First blog post: done!
First thing to drink: iced coffee
First thing to eat: bowl of Corn Chex w/sugar
First thing cooked: Chuck steak on Foreman grill
First contemplated purchase: a new Foreman grill (because my current one has about had it)
First actual purchase: box of Immodium (damn meds have a new side effect)
First website visited: Facebook
First game played: Bubble Witch Saga
First book read: Cat Vs Human- Another Dose of Catnip
First DVD watched: Blackadder the 3rd
First "responsible adult" activity: balanced the checkbook (and winced to see that I've been spending money like a drunken sailor)
First household chore: Washed sinkful of dishes that accumulated over the last 10 days or so. ( What?!? I live alone, so it's not like I'll run out of dishes. I tend to run out of silverware first)
First person to get a hug: My friend Trey
First person to get sworn at: The idiot in front of me on the way to work who signaled a left turn, turned right, and then drove at 10 m.p.h. while reading text messages on his phone
First phone call answered at work: Officer who didn't know his name would come up on caller ID and freaked out when I called him by name.
First blog post: done!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Holiday Goodies
Well, it's gift giving time and I'm having the usual troubles trying to find my Dad a present. He'll get the usual assortment of lottery tickets, and some small items, but I wanted to give him something special. Mind you, we spoiled him rotten for his birthday- the NC trip, a cooler full of meat & seafood, and tickets to NASCAR, WWE, and B B King- so he's not expecting a lot anyway. Mom & I are jointly getting him a new recliner, so that's his big gift.
Anyway, he was bemoaning the fact that nobody sells good fruitckae anymore. I don't believe that there's such a thing as a good fruitcake, but my father apparently loves the stuff. He's gotten them from Harry & David, Swiss Colony, and several other places over the last few years and nothing meets his standard. Nobody knows/remembers where Gramma used to order the ones she sent him. He liked the old Hostess slices, but they haven't made a comeback this year like Twinkies and the snack cakes. So Mom suggested we- meaning I- should make him one.
Ooooooookaaay.
Do you know how many varieties of fruitcake there are? I had no idea, probably because we didn't cover those when I got my useless baking & pastry degree. I did an online search for recipes and nearly fell off my chair. It makes sense, I suppose. EVERYTHING has variations. Anyway, I eliminated the ones with really weird/exotic ingredients or that required 10+ weeks of marinating in booze. Then I crossed off the ones that called for any liquor other than bourbon or rum. I finally narrowed it down to about 5 recipes- 2 light, 2 dark, and 1 unspecified. (the difference, in case you're wondering, appears to be mostly the type of sweetener used and the variety of fruits. Dark fruitcakes tend to have brown sugar/molasses and more dark fruits like chopped prunes & dates)
After we sent the old coot off to bed last Sunday, I was telling Mom about my search. Turns out Dad likes dark fruitcakes, so that elminated 2 more of my choices. We were debating the merits of the other 3 when Mom bolted up out of her chair and ran to the kitchen. She came back a minute later, grinning from ear to ear, carrying one of her old cookbooks. It's called Platter Parade
and was the Camp Lejeune Oficer's Wives version of a Junior League cookbook. It has a fruitcake recipe that Mom used to make when I was small and was very well liked by the relatives she sent it to. I remember watching one year when I was about 6 and being scandalized that it had RUM in it. (No idea why I thought that was a bad thing)
Anyway, we discovered that it had several fruitcake recipes in it and got discouraged all over again because Mom wasn't sure which one she'd used. And then I dropped the book and the dust cover Mom had made for it fell off...revealing a handwritten index on the inside of the original color with page numbers listed and the notation "YUM!!!"
Sure enough, one of them was the fruitcake! The downside is that it makes a LOT of fruitcakes. 3-4 to be exact.
Then inspiration struck again. Why not make the full batch? I'm going to send one to Aunt Myrtle & Uncle John. One of my coworkers was moaning about trying to find one for her aunt, so she's taking one of them. Dad gets one, and since it keeps well, maybe two.
Next post may be about my adventures in fruitcake baking...
Anyway, he was bemoaning the fact that nobody sells good fruitckae anymore. I don't believe that there's such a thing as a good fruitcake, but my father apparently loves the stuff. He's gotten them from Harry & David, Swiss Colony, and several other places over the last few years and nothing meets his standard. Nobody knows/remembers where Gramma used to order the ones she sent him. He liked the old Hostess slices, but they haven't made a comeback this year like Twinkies and the snack cakes. So Mom suggested we- meaning I- should make him one.
Ooooooookaaay.
Do you know how many varieties of fruitcake there are? I had no idea, probably because we didn't cover those when I got my useless baking & pastry degree. I did an online search for recipes and nearly fell off my chair. It makes sense, I suppose. EVERYTHING has variations. Anyway, I eliminated the ones with really weird/exotic ingredients or that required 10+ weeks of marinating in booze. Then I crossed off the ones that called for any liquor other than bourbon or rum. I finally narrowed it down to about 5 recipes- 2 light, 2 dark, and 1 unspecified. (the difference, in case you're wondering, appears to be mostly the type of sweetener used and the variety of fruits. Dark fruitcakes tend to have brown sugar/molasses and more dark fruits like chopped prunes & dates)
After we sent the old coot off to bed last Sunday, I was telling Mom about my search. Turns out Dad likes dark fruitcakes, so that elminated 2 more of my choices. We were debating the merits of the other 3 when Mom bolted up out of her chair and ran to the kitchen. She came back a minute later, grinning from ear to ear, carrying one of her old cookbooks. It's called Platter Parade
and was the Camp Lejeune Oficer's Wives version of a Junior League cookbook. It has a fruitcake recipe that Mom used to make when I was small and was very well liked by the relatives she sent it to. I remember watching one year when I was about 6 and being scandalized that it had RUM in it. (No idea why I thought that was a bad thing)
Anyway, we discovered that it had several fruitcake recipes in it and got discouraged all over again because Mom wasn't sure which one she'd used. And then I dropped the book and the dust cover Mom had made for it fell off...revealing a handwritten index on the inside of the original color with page numbers listed and the notation "YUM!!!"
Sure enough, one of them was the fruitcake! The downside is that it makes a LOT of fruitcakes. 3-4 to be exact.
Then inspiration struck again. Why not make the full batch? I'm going to send one to Aunt Myrtle & Uncle John. One of my coworkers was moaning about trying to find one for her aunt, so she's taking one of them. Dad gets one, and since it keeps well, maybe two.
Next post may be about my adventures in fruitcake baking...
Friday, November 15, 2013
Still here...sort of
The last few months have been filled with drama & trauma, but things seem to be levelling out again. I hope to resume blogging regularly. A short list of what's been going on:
1. Dad's 80th birthday party trip.
2. Iowa family gathering
3. I was hospitalized twice due to blood pressure issues (not fun)
4. The usual work drama, only I didn't get blamed for everything for a change and someone else got into serious trouble. (HAH!)
5. I played Candy Crush so obsessively that I reached the final (as of now) level and am dying of impatience as I wait for them to create more.
I've also read a ton of books that need to be reviewed and done a little cross-stitching.
More soon, I hope!
1. Dad's 80th birthday party trip.
2. Iowa family gathering
3. I was hospitalized twice due to blood pressure issues (not fun)
4. The usual work drama, only I didn't get blamed for everything for a change and someone else got into serious trouble. (HAH!)
5. I played Candy Crush so obsessively that I reached the final (as of now) level and am dying of impatience as I wait for them to create more.
I've also read a ton of books that need to be reviewed and done a little cross-stitching.
More soon, I hope!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Lazy Girl Steak Birds
My mom is a good cook. One of my favorite dishes of hers is one we call Steak Birds. She pounds pieces of steak until they're flat, fills them with stuffing & rolls them up. Then they get browned on all sides and simmered in a gravy until tender. She often makes the stuffing from scratch, so it can be a time consuming dish.
I am a decent cook, but lazy. I was craving Mom's dish the other night, so I sort of faked a version. I used minute steaks, dredged in seasoned flour & browned in olive oil. Removed those from the pan and threw in some butter & onions and stirred that around until they were tender. Added a little more seasoned flour and a splash of milk, before stirring in a can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 a soup can of water, and a package of mushroom gravy mix. Put the steaks back in, covered the pan and reduced the heat to simmer while I went off to take a shower. (it had been one of THOSE days at work)
When I came back I cooked a box of cornbread stuffing mix, using a bit less water & butter than the package called for. I tend to like a dry stuffing anyway as it absorbs the gravy better.
Mounded a pile of stuffing on the plate, topped it with gravy and a minute steak. If I was a good girl, I'd have made green beans or a salad to go with this.
Anyway, it was good. And I made enough to get a couple of meals out of it, so I don't have to cook for a day or two!
I am a decent cook, but lazy. I was craving Mom's dish the other night, so I sort of faked a version. I used minute steaks, dredged in seasoned flour & browned in olive oil. Removed those from the pan and threw in some butter & onions and stirred that around until they were tender. Added a little more seasoned flour and a splash of milk, before stirring in a can of cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 a soup can of water, and a package of mushroom gravy mix. Put the steaks back in, covered the pan and reduced the heat to simmer while I went off to take a shower. (it had been one of THOSE days at work)
When I came back I cooked a box of cornbread stuffing mix, using a bit less water & butter than the package called for. I tend to like a dry stuffing anyway as it absorbs the gravy better.
Mounded a pile of stuffing on the plate, topped it with gravy and a minute steak. If I was a good girl, I'd have made green beans or a salad to go with this.
Anyway, it was good. And I made enough to get a couple of meals out of it, so I don't have to cook for a day or two!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
My Father, the Gigolo
I don't know what it is about the males in my family that causes the women of the world to find them totally irresistable. Men of all ages in the family often have to beat women off with a stick. For example:
1. My sister Sandra called us once in hysterics when her son was 6 years old. Some "fast little girl" in his class was calling him on the phone and waiting for him outside the school and kept inviting over to her house to play. (for the record, the knucklehead is now 26 and still getting calls from girls, only the games they want to play aren't quite as innocent)
2. Uncle John & Cousin Henderson came to visit us when I was 14 or so. (that would have put them in their mid 50's- early 60's) They spent a few hours entertaining us with their adventures, and then were heading out to a bowling tournament. As they were leaving our apartment, 2 20-something bimbos were heading up the stairs to see our next door neighbor. "Well, HELLO there!" says Henderson. "Party's going this way, girls!" added Uncle John. Damned if those little bimbos didn't start wiggling/giggling and follow those old goats out of the building. Mom sent me after them to say that she was calling their wives if they didn't send those twits back upstairs, PRONTO.
3. My brother, Neanderthal Idiot, has been married 5 times and has 6 children (that we know of) with 5 different women. Only 1 baby momma was ever married to him.
4. The girls at our favorite Chinese restaurant think Daddy is just the greatest thing since sliced bread. They fuss and fawn over him, have been known to make special dishes for him when he just picks at food from the buffet, and god forbid we go there without him because they ignore our table if we do.
5. The little old ladies at the parental church of choice love Daddy too. They constantly invite him to gatherings and parties. Mom is usually added onto invitations, clearly as an afterthought. I had to go to one dinner with them and explain that I would cut an old bitch if she didn't quit trying to seduce my father.
6. Baby girls love Daddy too. If there's a baby/toddler within eyeshot, she will zero in on my dad and started cooing & giggling. We had one wiggle out of her booster seat and try to follow us out of the Chinese restaurant once. Daddy picked her up and took her back to her momma, and then they both flirted with him.
7. The most recent bimbo attack was the Friday before the Super Bowl. The grocery store that my parents shop in most often has a $tarbuck$ in it. Mom offered to buy Dad a tall blonde roast coffee and leave him in a chair there while she did the shopping. (Dad doesn't like strong coffee, so theirs isn't normally his favorite, but he does like the new lighter roast) He said no, he'd get it at the end of the trip- I think he wanted to stay with her in the hopes of hurrying her up. They filled the cart and were heading up to the checkout when Mom said this leggy, half-dressed blonde stopped Dad and asked him where the peanut butter was. (About 2 feet past him and VERY visible) She went on, thinking Dad was behind her, checked out, and walked over to Starbucks. Suddenly realizing that Dad wasn't there, she frowned. The cashier asked if she needed help with something, and without missing a beat, Mom said "I told my husband I'd get him a tall blonde, but I guess he decided to go with the one he picked up in the jelly aisle." The cashier about wet himself laughing. Dad showed up a few minutes later, looking sheepish, and claimed he'd gone to look at magazines after helping Blondie find the peanut butter.
1. My sister Sandra called us once in hysterics when her son was 6 years old. Some "fast little girl" in his class was calling him on the phone and waiting for him outside the school and kept inviting over to her house to play. (for the record, the knucklehead is now 26 and still getting calls from girls, only the games they want to play aren't quite as innocent)
2. Uncle John & Cousin Henderson came to visit us when I was 14 or so. (that would have put them in their mid 50's- early 60's) They spent a few hours entertaining us with their adventures, and then were heading out to a bowling tournament. As they were leaving our apartment, 2 20-something bimbos were heading up the stairs to see our next door neighbor. "Well, HELLO there!" says Henderson. "Party's going this way, girls!" added Uncle John. Damned if those little bimbos didn't start wiggling/giggling and follow those old goats out of the building. Mom sent me after them to say that she was calling their wives if they didn't send those twits back upstairs, PRONTO.
3. My brother, Neanderthal Idiot, has been married 5 times and has 6 children (that we know of) with 5 different women. Only 1 baby momma was ever married to him.
4. The girls at our favorite Chinese restaurant think Daddy is just the greatest thing since sliced bread. They fuss and fawn over him, have been known to make special dishes for him when he just picks at food from the buffet, and god forbid we go there without him because they ignore our table if we do.
5. The little old ladies at the parental church of choice love Daddy too. They constantly invite him to gatherings and parties. Mom is usually added onto invitations, clearly as an afterthought. I had to go to one dinner with them and explain that I would cut an old bitch if she didn't quit trying to seduce my father.
6. Baby girls love Daddy too. If there's a baby/toddler within eyeshot, she will zero in on my dad and started cooing & giggling. We had one wiggle out of her booster seat and try to follow us out of the Chinese restaurant once. Daddy picked her up and took her back to her momma, and then they both flirted with him.
7. The most recent bimbo attack was the Friday before the Super Bowl. The grocery store that my parents shop in most often has a $tarbuck$ in it. Mom offered to buy Dad a tall blonde roast coffee and leave him in a chair there while she did the shopping. (Dad doesn't like strong coffee, so theirs isn't normally his favorite, but he does like the new lighter roast) He said no, he'd get it at the end of the trip- I think he wanted to stay with her in the hopes of hurrying her up. They filled the cart and were heading up to the checkout when Mom said this leggy, half-dressed blonde stopped Dad and asked him where the peanut butter was. (About 2 feet past him and VERY visible) She went on, thinking Dad was behind her, checked out, and walked over to Starbucks. Suddenly realizing that Dad wasn't there, she frowned. The cashier asked if she needed help with something, and without missing a beat, Mom said "I told my husband I'd get him a tall blonde, but I guess he decided to go with the one he picked up in the jelly aisle." The cashier about wet himself laughing. Dad showed up a few minutes later, looking sheepish, and claimed he'd gone to look at magazines after helping Blondie find the peanut butter.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
My Godmother
My mother decided in high school that she would name her first born daughter after her best friend. (Despite the fact that her friend wasn't that crazy about the name herself) Amusingly enough, she & her mother were present for my birth while my dad remained at work and dropped by the hospital after his shift. They'd come to visit mom, who had moved to NC by then, and I decided to make an early appearance.
I didn't meet Aunt P again until I was an obnoxious teeneager and we'd traveled to Iowa for their class reunion. She & her mom had moved to New Mexico, where they were teachers, and she had recently gotten married. She never had children of her own (lots of fur kids though, and she wound up playing mother to several of her students over the years) and laughingly declined Mom's (halfway) joking offer to hand me over. I liked her a lot, despite my teenage drama.
Mom has told me so many stories that I feel like I knew her as well as she did. The name seems to have been a mixed blessing- we were an awful lot alike. I say were, because my hell-raising, fire-breathing namesake passed away this morning. She had developed some serious health conditions over the last few years and made the decision to stop receiving treatment for them this week once the doctors told her that she was too weak to survive the liver transplant surgery she needed. She was tired of living in pain and hated having to depend on others for her care...much like I would be in the same situation.
Aunt P is being cremated and there won't be a funeral. She asked for her ashes to be put with her mother's until they could both be taken to Iowa and buried with her father. I imagine Mom & I will go for that, whenever her husband decides to do it. Mom seems to be taking this better than I am, oddly enough.
I'll share some of the stories about Aunt P & my mom some time in an upcoming post. Right now I'm a little too numb to remember any.
I didn't meet Aunt P again until I was an obnoxious teeneager and we'd traveled to Iowa for their class reunion. She & her mom had moved to New Mexico, where they were teachers, and she had recently gotten married. She never had children of her own (lots of fur kids though, and she wound up playing mother to several of her students over the years) and laughingly declined Mom's (halfway) joking offer to hand me over. I liked her a lot, despite my teenage drama.
Mom has told me so many stories that I feel like I knew her as well as she did. The name seems to have been a mixed blessing- we were an awful lot alike. I say were, because my hell-raising, fire-breathing namesake passed away this morning. She had developed some serious health conditions over the last few years and made the decision to stop receiving treatment for them this week once the doctors told her that she was too weak to survive the liver transplant surgery she needed. She was tired of living in pain and hated having to depend on others for her care...much like I would be in the same situation.
Aunt P is being cremated and there won't be a funeral. She asked for her ashes to be put with her mother's until they could both be taken to Iowa and buried with her father. I imagine Mom & I will go for that, whenever her husband decides to do it. Mom seems to be taking this better than I am, oddly enough.
I'll share some of the stories about Aunt P & my mom some time in an upcoming post. Right now I'm a little too numb to remember any.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Because sometimes it's not all about you...
When I was in high school, our student council would take donations and adopt families via the Salvation Army for the holidays. Because the money was coming from students, it meant lots of loose change and I got quite adept at rolling the stuff. (a skill that still comes in handy) The SU advisor would tally up our collection and work with the SA to get as many families as we could provide a happy holiday for as possible. I always enjoyed working on that project, and my senior year was head of the fundraising committee. We raised enough for 25 families (a school record that still stands!) and it took 3 days of shopping and 3 days to make the deliveries.
I lost the habit of helping others after high school. Well, sort of lost. I would always stop and throw a few items in the canned food collection at the grocery store when I came across one, and I always dig into my pocket for donations to the Salvation Army bell ringers.
One year, working at Books-A-Million, I begged and pleaded with my coworkers to chip in and adopt a child from the Salvation Army. It took the addition of a prize of the homemade goodie of the winner's choice to get them to donate, but we collected $75 and I threw in $50 of my own and we got a teenage girl most of her wishlist. Our district manager won the raffle (I had no shame and hit up everyone for donations- got him on a random visit) and gave his prize to the bell ringer stationed at our store. (chocolate chip cookies if I remember correctly...)
After moving to Louisville, the independent bookstore where I worked collected books for various children's charities for the holidays. Well, of course I'm going to buy books for kids. EVERYONE should have books that wants them is one of my personal mottoes. And I continued to support food drives.
Then I started working for LMPD. The first year, I suggested to my coworkers that we adopt a child or do some other civic minded project. Louisville had lots of Hurricane Katrina refugees, so we contacted one of the shelters and adopted a displaced mother & son. My coworkers were all for the idea until it came time to contribute, and then it was like pulling teeth. It took pleading and a collection jar on the counter for the officers to help out, and even then my colleague J & I wound up putting in more of our own money than originally intended. But it was worth every dime and bit of stress to be able to fulfill their "needs" list and throw in quite a few "wants" as well. (Turns out that J & I were both power bargain shoppers)
After that experience, I decided not to bother with my coworkers any more. I try to adopt at least one kid a year, usually an older child because they often get overlooked. I still give to food drives, book drives, and for the last few years adopted a senior citizen from the giving tree at Wal-mart in honor of my late Gramma. Last year, instead of presents for my ingrate coworkers, I donated the money I would have spent on them to the food bank and to the First Reads program and plan to do it again this year.
This year, the department sent out an email from one of the children's home asking for help giving their kids a happy holiday. My parents & I had planned to do one anyway, so I requested one. Then, in a moment ofinsanity unbridled enthusiasm, I requested one for the office. I sent out a plea for donations, but expected to cover most of it myself. Much to my surprise, I got an overwhelmingly (for this place) positive response. Even better, I got actual cash from half my coworkers and the management!
Mom went shopping with me and we had a blast. We bought tons of clothing and gift items for both of the 'angels' and still had money left. So, with the blessing of the home & my fellow donators, I bought an assortment of random clothing & gifts for the home to distribute as needed. We even had enough to throw in some gift wrapping supplies!
Reading back over this, it sounds like I'm blowing my own horn. That's not how I intended this piece to sound. I wanted to show that even in these days of excess, there are people out there who don't have it as good as most of us. Even the smallest donation can make an impact on someone's life. It's not about having the newest and flashiest gadgets, designer clothes, and biggest house. It's not about how cool you appear to be, because if you can't take a few minutes or spare a few dollars to help someone else, you're not that cool. We just helped make a 13 year old girl and a 12 year old boy feel like they're important enough for someone to care about them. They don't know who my coworkers, parents, & I are. They don't need to, because it's not about us. It's about THEM.
And you know what? That makes ME feel pretty darn good...
I lost the habit of helping others after high school. Well, sort of lost. I would always stop and throw a few items in the canned food collection at the grocery store when I came across one, and I always dig into my pocket for donations to the Salvation Army bell ringers.
One year, working at Books-A-Million, I begged and pleaded with my coworkers to chip in and adopt a child from the Salvation Army. It took the addition of a prize of the homemade goodie of the winner's choice to get them to donate, but we collected $75 and I threw in $50 of my own and we got a teenage girl most of her wishlist. Our district manager won the raffle (I had no shame and hit up everyone for donations- got him on a random visit) and gave his prize to the bell ringer stationed at our store. (chocolate chip cookies if I remember correctly...)
After moving to Louisville, the independent bookstore where I worked collected books for various children's charities for the holidays. Well, of course I'm going to buy books for kids. EVERYONE should have books that wants them is one of my personal mottoes. And I continued to support food drives.
Then I started working for LMPD. The first year, I suggested to my coworkers that we adopt a child or do some other civic minded project. Louisville had lots of Hurricane Katrina refugees, so we contacted one of the shelters and adopted a displaced mother & son. My coworkers were all for the idea until it came time to contribute, and then it was like pulling teeth. It took pleading and a collection jar on the counter for the officers to help out, and even then my colleague J & I wound up putting in more of our own money than originally intended. But it was worth every dime and bit of stress to be able to fulfill their "needs" list and throw in quite a few "wants" as well. (Turns out that J & I were both power bargain shoppers)
After that experience, I decided not to bother with my coworkers any more. I try to adopt at least one kid a year, usually an older child because they often get overlooked. I still give to food drives, book drives, and for the last few years adopted a senior citizen from the giving tree at Wal-mart in honor of my late Gramma. Last year, instead of presents for my ingrate coworkers, I donated the money I would have spent on them to the food bank and to the First Reads program and plan to do it again this year.
This year, the department sent out an email from one of the children's home asking for help giving their kids a happy holiday. My parents & I had planned to do one anyway, so I requested one. Then, in a moment of
Mom went shopping with me and we had a blast. We bought tons of clothing and gift items for both of the 'angels' and still had money left. So, with the blessing of the home & my fellow donators, I bought an assortment of random clothing & gifts for the home to distribute as needed. We even had enough to throw in some gift wrapping supplies!
Reading back over this, it sounds like I'm blowing my own horn. That's not how I intended this piece to sound. I wanted to show that even in these days of excess, there are people out there who don't have it as good as most of us. Even the smallest donation can make an impact on someone's life. It's not about having the newest and flashiest gadgets, designer clothes, and biggest house. It's not about how cool you appear to be, because if you can't take a few minutes or spare a few dollars to help someone else, you're not that cool. We just helped make a 13 year old girl and a 12 year old boy feel like they're important enough for someone to care about them. They don't know who my coworkers, parents, & I are. They don't need to, because it's not about us. It's about THEM.
And you know what? That makes ME feel pretty darn good...
Monday, November 26, 2012
Things I Hate About Winter
1. My office maintains an average temp of 50 below and it is not an uncommon sight to see us in parkas & fingerless gloves while we try to handle evidence.
2. The homeless people who get arrested so that they'll have somewhere warm to sleep. I don't begrudge them getting shelter, however misguidedly, but I hate that Corrections won't take their bags so that WE are forced to deal with the (often stinky) mess. And the cranky people that then have to hike 4-5 miles to our office to reclaim their stuff.
3. The cold weather plays hell with my arthritic knees & back.
4. The nasty slushy mess that makes driving in Louisville an even more hazardous task after the first snowfall starts to melt.
5. Every stray cat in the neighborhood comes to roost under my house, often mating under my bedroom floor. Glad they're warm and somewhat safe, wish they weren't homeless to begin with.
6. My little black cat loses her mind and races around the house, often shrieking madly, until I snap and threaten to kill her.
7. My father gets VERY grumpy about the cold weather, making my mother crazy, in turn making me even crazier.
8. Listening to holiday music ad nauseum EVERYWHERE I go.
9. The office holiday party. Almost nobody ever really wants one, but there's always some gung-ho idiot who just HAS to organzize one. I put my foot down last year- no presents for the jackholes I work with, no special treats, and since I'm not participating, I'm not cleaning it up. Expect a repeat performance this year.
10. The politically correct police who insist "We should say Happy Holidays so that everyone will feel included!" and those who argue that "Christ is the reason for the season" and "You cain't take Christ out of Christmas!" Here's my take on the issue- SHUT UP, celebrate the way you are comfortable, and don't force your views on the rest of the world. If someone gives you a holiday greeting that's different from your view, just smile, thank them, and be grateful that anyone is speaking to your sorry ass in the first place.
2. The homeless people who get arrested so that they'll have somewhere warm to sleep. I don't begrudge them getting shelter, however misguidedly, but I hate that Corrections won't take their bags so that WE are forced to deal with the (often stinky) mess. And the cranky people that then have to hike 4-5 miles to our office to reclaim their stuff.
3. The cold weather plays hell with my arthritic knees & back.
4. The nasty slushy mess that makes driving in Louisville an even more hazardous task after the first snowfall starts to melt.
5. Every stray cat in the neighborhood comes to roost under my house, often mating under my bedroom floor. Glad they're warm and somewhat safe, wish they weren't homeless to begin with.
6. My little black cat loses her mind and races around the house, often shrieking madly, until I snap and threaten to kill her.
7. My father gets VERY grumpy about the cold weather, making my mother crazy, in turn making me even crazier.
8. Listening to holiday music ad nauseum EVERYWHERE I go.
9. The office holiday party. Almost nobody ever really wants one, but there's always some gung-ho idiot who just HAS to organzize one. I put my foot down last year- no presents for the jackholes I work with, no special treats, and since I'm not participating, I'm not cleaning it up. Expect a repeat performance this year.
10. The politically correct police who insist "We should say Happy Holidays so that everyone will feel included!" and those who argue that "Christ is the reason for the season" and "You cain't take Christ out of Christmas!" Here's my take on the issue- SHUT UP, celebrate the way you are comfortable, and don't force your views on the rest of the world. If someone gives you a holiday greeting that's different from your view, just smile, thank them, and be grateful that anyone is speaking to your sorry ass in the first place.
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